Spring-wheel.



J. T. WEINZIB'RL L J. STURTEVANT.

SPRING WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1911.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET'I.

STURTEVANT..

SPI NG, WHEEL.

APPLIoATIo mmm 1.1mm, 1911.

Pmnte. 8, 1913.

2 SHEETS-MEET 2f.

J. T. WBINZIBRL l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH T. WEINZIERL AND JULIUS STURTEANT, OF NEW KENSINGTGN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.'

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

Application led January 11', 1911. Serial No. 602,036.

Our invention consists of an improvement in vehicle wheels and has for its obj-ect to provide a lwheel havingthe desired resiliency as to its tire with the accompanying.

qualities of continuous serviceability, avoidance of the necessity of inflat-ion or accident from puncture, etc., commonto pneumatic tires, togetherwith the advantages ',of cheapness, simplicity, ease of removal and substitution of any of the parts, etc., convlstruc-ted and operable in the manner more fully hereinafter set forth. l

' Generally stated, the improvement consists in providing aA wheelv of any suit-able form with a surrounding rim portion composed of a concentric annular series of undulated or vcorrugated flat spring members,

spaced apart'and connected together at suitable intervals'and to the rim of the wheel,

whereby to distribute and absorbthe strains incident to use,l with an outer shoe or tread of any suitable material.

Inthe drawings: Figure 1 represents in elevation a portion of a wheelconstructed in accordance with our invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sectional detail views on the lines II. Il. and III. HI. respectively of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view showing the manner of connecting the ends of one of Athe annular spring members and the moditied form of clip therefor. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of said connect-ing clip,'showing the attachment thereby of one spring member with the next adjacent member. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the end of the spring provided with a plurality oit-grooves or notches. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showinga modilied arrangement of the connecting clamps with relation to the undulations of the spring members. Figs. 8 and 9 are cross sectional. detail views on the lines VIII. VIII. and IX. IX. respectively, of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a detail plan view showing the modification shown in Fig. 7 in top plan view.

extension 12,

5, ipc.

The body portion of the wheel proper may be of any suitable type or construction, of 4 any suit-able material, comprising the usual hub 2, spokes 3 or their equivalent, and felly 4. In the construction shown, the wheel lis provided with a surrounding rim 5 which may be a continuous annular band ofsteel or other suitablematerial, the edges of which extend slightly beyond the felly li, at each side as clearly shown. Outwardly beyond said rim 5 are a series Aof annularly arranged convoluted spring members 6, 7,*` 8 and 9, of any desired number, according to the weight to be carried orr other conditions. As shown, each of said annular spring members is con tinuously convoluted or corrugated, whereby to provide a continuous annular series of wave-likesections, and each member is spaced apart from its adjacent member and from the rim 5, sufficiently far to permit of ample flexure between the points of attach-l ment of the adjacent members.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the annular spring member 6, adjacent to the 'rim 5, is connected with therim by a series of clamps 10, 10, one at eachside of the rim and spring member, having transverse grooves 11' adapted to embrace the 'edges of the connected members and preferably eX- tending inwardly therebetween by a central as shown. The clam s are rigidly connected by bolts 13 provide with terminal heads and nuts. It will be observed that the spring member 6 is connected by said clamps at those portions which are farthest from the rim at points of `outward bend or convolution. At intermedia-te points. between clamps' 10, the annular member 6 is similarly connected. with its adjacent annular member- 7 by similar clamps 14, similarly connecting the outwardly bowed portions of the annular spring members.

Likewise, that at corresponding positions and incorresponding relation, the annular Amore4 or less, subject to the conditions, whereby to provide the series of annular 'spring members, rigidly connected together at somewhat closely adjacent points, the spaced. members thus comprising in their entirety, a surrounding elastic structure.

17 is a shoe or tread, of any suitable material as rubber, liber, etc., havin a bearing exterior and its interior correspondi tting against the undulated surface of the outer annular spring member 9 and secured thereto by any suitable means. As shown the thickness of the spring members is referably gradually increased outwardlyw ereby to provide increasing stiffness, although such is not 'essential and may or may not be adopted, as desired.

In operation, as thus constructed, and assuming the weight to be supported upon t-he wheel and in contact with the ground at any particular point, as for instance'that defined lby the section line III. III., thestrain will be distributed from the shoe and o'uter member 9 through cla-mp 16, thence ineachdirection laterally through adjacent member 8 to clamps 15, 15; thence in each direction through adjacent member 7 to clamps 14, 14, 14;*and thence through adjacent annular member 6 to clamps 10, 10, .10, 10, to the rim 5.. The strain will liketween the annular members and the clam s,

annularly, together with the inherent stlif- Vness and accompanying resiliency of the component members of. the wheel, will operate to entirely absorb the several strains without impairment of any single element'.

'While the same general arrangement and disposition of the parts may be also' accomplished in a series of circumferential spring members of other form we prefer the corrugated arrangement, as it provides for greater' flexibility and endurance with .a

higher .degree of accompanying resiliency. While the spring members may, if desired, be 4'continuous throughout, ease and convenience of construction is more readily accomplished by making them ofbandsV bent to form and joined at -theirends, in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In such construction, the ends 18, 18, of the annular spring members are brought into abutting, contact, `or slightlyspa'ced apart, and .are connected bythe clampingdevices 19, simingto and' lar to clamps 10, 14, 15 and 16, but having inwardly projecting lugs 20 engaging corresponding recesses 21 1n the edges of the spring members.

In Fig. 6k we show the end of the s ring member 18lv as provided with a plurality of such recesses or serrations 21', whereby to lpermit of adjustment as to length, due to points of inward bend, by means of similar' clamps 10', 14', 15 and 16. The const-ruction otherwise is substantially as above described, except that inner spring member 6 is spaced somewhat farther away from rim 5, whereby to admit of the insertion of clamps 10', with ample intervening space for compression. The construction and operation otherwise is as above described.

While ordinarily, the points of connection annularly of the spring members are suiliciently close together to obviate the necessity of any additional reinforcement, we may, if desired, reinforce or stiifen the annular members bet-Ween ,the points of attachment, as by -widening them as indicated at 22, Fig.. 1'0. By this construction, the spring members between the points of attachment are reinforced in the manner of a truss, whereby to more scientifically distributethe strains throughout in each direction from the' central point between each.

pair of clamps. The drawing also shows the arrangement ofthe clamps with relation to the next innermost annular member,

with which the outermost member is connected by its clamp 16', embracing the widened or reinforcing portion of the said adjacent member 8 at a point midway between the next adjacent pair of clamps 15', 15. This construction and arrangement will be more clearly understood from an inspection of the cross sectional views, Figs. 8 and 9. The spring members may also be alternately thickened inl gage between the clamping positions, for the same purpose, while maintaining a uniform width.

From the foregoing readily seen that the entire tire or any portion of it is demountable from the wheel by lremoval of all or some of the clamps and that any one or more of thecorrugated annular members may 'be removed and replaced. The assembled series of annular description, it will benoeases members forming the entire rim, with their yielding tread which will readily conform itself to any inequalities in the road surface, will ,absorb the shocks of impact, and give very easy riding qualities.

The advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated by all those .familiar with the use of resilient wheels and the invention overcomes the objections and accomplishes the advantages noted in a high degrec.

It will be understood that the proportions, arrangement, number of parts, etc., may be greatly changed or varied and we do not desire to be limited to the detail constructions shown and described, but to include all such changes or variations as may be made therefrom by the skilled mechanic as within the scope of the following claims:

What we claim is z- 1. A wheel having a tire portion composed of a plurality of radially spaced continuously undulating annular spring members, series of pairs of alternating connecting clamps engaging the edges of undulating portions of said spring members, and bolts extending between the` spring members engaging the clamps and holding them together, and similar clamps and bolts connecting .the innermost spring members to the wheel in spaced relation thereto substantially as set forth. i

2. The combination with the rim of a wheel and an outer tread member radially spaced away therefrom, of an intervening effi;

series of' radially spaced continuously. undulating annular sorin g members, means for connecting the innermost spring member to the rim, and series of pairs of alternately arranged connecting clamps engaging the undulating portions of adj scent spring members by their edges, each pair of said clamps having a.l holding bolt extending between said spring members and securing the clamps to the spring members, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a wheel and an outer tread member, of a plurality of radially spaced annular spring members of non-- uniform cross section, and alternating annular series of connecting devicesholding said parts together, substantially as set forth.

et. In a wheel, the combination of a plurality of radially spaced undulating annular spring members having meeting terminals notched at their edges, and means for connecting the ends of one member together and said member to the next adjacent member consisting of clamps having lugs adapted to embrace the edges of said members and the notched portions of the meeting terminals respectively and a bolt connecting said clamps, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aihx our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH T. lVEINZIERL. JULUS STURTEVANT. Witnesses:

REYNOLDS LAUGHLIN, L. T. MITCHELL. 

